How do I set a Google Business Profile service area?

Definition: A Google Business Profile service area identifies where a business visits or delivers to customers. It is configured through named geographic areas, such as cities or postal codes.

Key facts

• As of October 2026, Google's service-area management documentation allows up to 20 service areas and excludes radius-based settings.
• Google's business representation guidelines place the overall boundary at about 2 hours of driving time from the business base, while allowing that larger areas may suit some businesses.
• Google's edit-status documentation distinguishes accepted, pending and unapproved changes after an edit is saved.

Where is the service-area setting?

The service-area management instructions give this route through the Business Profile editor:

Edit profile > Location > Service area > Edit

A suggested area can be selected, or an area can be entered. Supported inputs include cities, postal codes and other geographic areas. Selecting Save submits the change. An older radius-based service area requires replacement with named areas because the radius setting cannot be edited.

To remove an area, the same editor provides Selected service areas. Locations the business no longer serves can be removed before saving.

How large can the overall area be?

Google's representation guidelines describe the driving-time boundary for the profile's overall service area. The guidance concerns the combined territory covered by the profile. It uses an approximate travel time from the business base rather than a fixed distance in miles or kilometres.

The same guidelines expressly allow larger areas for some businesses. They also permit a profile for each location when a service business has different locations with separate staff and separate service areas. A business that travels to customers without a storefront with clear signage is allowed one service-area profile.

What happens after saving?

The service-area instructions say approved area edits may take up to 48 hours to appear on the profile.

Google's general edit documentation says verified-profile edits undergo review for compliance with its guidelines. Review usually takes up to 10 minutes, but can take up to 30 days. An accepted edit displays the updated information; a pending edit remains under review. Google may reject a change when it cannot confirm its accuracy, and an appeal may be available for rejected business-information edits.

Related terms

• Google Business Profile
• When should a service-area business hide its address on Google?
• Can a virtual office qualify for a Google Business Profile?

FAQ

Should I display my home address?

Google's representation guidelines say service-area businesses should hide their address. Its example is a plumber operating from a residential address: the address is cleared from the profile.

Can I show an address and a service area together?

Yes. Google's guidelines for hybrid businesses allow both. If you receive customers at the address, your team must staff the location and be able to receive customers during its stated hours.

Sources

1. Google Business Profile Help, "Manage your service areas for service-area & hybrid businesses", undated
2. Google Business Profile Help, "Guidelines for representing your business on Google", undated
3. Google Business Profile Help, "Understand what happens to your Business Profile edits", undated

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